Alison Roman Finds Inspiration Upstate with First Bloom and New Cookbook “Something from Nothing”

Alison Roman, the bestselling cookbook author and food personality behind viral recipes like “The Stew,” “The Dip,” and “The Cookies,” has found a second home — and inspiration — in Delaware County.

Known for her candid cooking style and approachable yet elevated recipes, Roman has built a career through cookbooks like Dining In, Nothing Fancy, and Sweet Enough. Her fourth, “Something from Nothing,” will be released November 11.

Roman first discovered Delaware County back in 2017 while working on Dining In. “We were introduced first by a friend of mine who has a house in Andes,” she recalled. “I asked him, ‘Do you know anyone where I could get fish up there?’ And he said, ‘You could ask Soheil, who owns Special Meeting House.’ He introduced us, and we just became friendly from there.”

Roman says her connection to the area grew from there. “I love them so much and I love their restaurant so much,” she said. “It’s such a wonderful place to have in the community. They’re so influential — people see them and think, ‘Maybe I can move up here and pursue my dream too.’”

Like many New Yorkers during the pandemic, Roman started looking for a home upstate — but soon discovered that housing prices were rising fast. “It mostly came down to what I could afford,” she said. “Buying property in New York City or Brooklyn felt impossible, and remains impossible. But I thought, okay, maybe I can buy this building and turn it into something.”

That building happened to be the former Table on Ten — a beloved Bloomville restaurant that had closed early in the pandemic. “I wasn’t looking to open a grocery store,” Roman said. “I was looking for a house. But when I saw Table on Ten was for sale, I thought, wow, that could be the exact solution. It just felt right.”
She bought the property in February 2021 and spent months figuring out what to do with it. “I’d never owned a business in this way before,” she said. “I needed to sit in the space, spend time in the area, and figure out what was realistic and attainable — and what would actually serve the community.”

The result was First Bloom, a modern country grocery that opened Labor Day weekend 2023 — the same week Roman got married. “It wasn’t the plan,” she said with a laugh. “I hoped to open in May, but we didn’t make it. Suddenly, it was either open now or push to October — and I was going on a honeymoon. It just felt like now or never. I wouldn’t recommend it, but we got through it.”

First Bloom carries pantry staples from small brands like Burlap & Barrel and locally sourced produce from farms in the 607 CSA. “Because it’s my store, it’s curated,” Roman said. “We have the best version of every ingredient, and sometimes we carry both the best and the most affordable. I want people to have options.”

To keep prices fair, some items are co-packed or sold in-house. “The spices we buy in bulk and jar ourselves because it makes it a lot cheaper for the customer,” she said. “I love the idea of a co-op grocery store with bulk bins — that’s the dream. For now, this is our version of that.”

Roman says her time upstate — and running First Bloom — deeply influenced Something from Nothing. The cookbook celebrates creativity in the kitchen when the pantry is sparse. “Being upstate really did force me to cook differently,” she said. “In New York, I could get any ingredient in ten minutes. Up here, I’d look in my fridge and see a can of beans, half a bunch of old kale, frozen chicken, and a lemon — and that’s it. You have to make something from that.”

This winter, Roman plans to bring a taste of the Catskills to Brooklyn with a First Bloom pop-up just before Thanksgiving. “It’ll be a smaller version,” she said, “just a nice thing to do for the holidays — to get some of the Catskills down to the city.”

As for what’s next, Roman says she’s focused on keeping First Bloom grounded. “I don’t feel the need to do anything flashy,” she said. “I just want it to be consistent and good — open when we say we’re open, with friendly people and good products. That’s what matters.”

Something from Nothing will be available November 11. For more information, visit alisoneroman.com. First Bloom is located at 52030 State Route 10 in Bloomville, Delaware County.

Image: Alison Roman. (Credit Clarkson-Potter)